Savior
by StaRRY-EyEd-SupRiSE
Summary: When Kouga saves Serenity from a sticky situation, she ends up as an important part of his life...R for lanuage and (MILD) sexual references.
1. At The End Of The Day

A/N: This is my first shot at a Inuyasha-related fic, so yeah...don't flame my ass ^^. It will star Kouga (YAYS!), and some peoples I made up. Enjoy!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So, do you want to come with me to that party on tomorrow?" Sarah asked Serenity after their Psychology class. Serenity shrugged.  
  
"Im not too sure; Jason might have something planned-"  
  
"Oh cripes! He needs to cut the apron strings someday, ya know! Please say you'll come," Sarah begged, making puppy eyes at her friend. Serenity scrunched up her face.  
  
"Oh fine; you win. Will you need me to pick you up?"  
  
Sarah grinned widely. "How did you know?"  
  
Serenity shook her head and smiled. "I know everything about you. How would 7:30 suit you?"  
  
Sarah patted Serenity on the head before darting off to catch her next class. "That would be great! See you then!"  
  
While she walked to her car, Serenity looked at her watch and yawned: 9:45 p.m. taking the evening college courses was wearing her out, but with her full time job, it was the only option she had. Well, full time job AND full time boyfriend. Jason was high maintenance, and demanded a lot of Serenity's time as well as her attention. She sighed loudly, tossing her books onto the top of her car and began fumbling around with her keys.  
  
*RUSTLE RUSTLE*  
  
The bush next to her shook, and Serenity jumped.  
  
"H-hello?" she asked quietly, frozen to the spot for a good 20 seconds.  
  
Nothing.  
  
'Get a hold of yourself,' Serenity thought, snapping out of her funk and quickly getting into her car. As she pulled out of the parking spot, she saw a figure dart from behind the bush and into the shadows. The tires chirped as she drove away at a high rate of speed.  
  
When she got home, there were 10 new messages.  
  
They were all from Jason.  
  
Living by yourself had its ups and downs. While you didn't have to worry about bitchy roommates, loneliness was an issue. But when you have a boyfriend like Jason, you find that loneliness was something that could be tolerated. Serenity closed the blinds on her windows and took off her clothes to change while she listened to the messages. Each one was the same:  
  
"Why aren't you home yet? I thought we agreed that 7:00 was late enough? We need to talk..."  
  
Serenity yanked on an over-sized band shirt and sat on the couch, rubbing her temples. Between college and work, she became rather stressed out. Jason, as a boyfriend, should be doing things to make her feel better. However, that was not the case.  
  
'I don't need to call him,' she thought to herself, pulling her textbooks out of her bag. Sprawling out on her belly, she began to do her work. It wasn't 2 minutes before the God Forsaken telephone began to ring. Without thinking, she answered it.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Why the hell are you so late?" a voice snarled, and Serenity felt her stomach keel over to one side. Jason.  
  
"You know that my classes don't get out until 9:45," she said slowly, not sure whether she was more angry or scared. She heard him laugh.  
  
"Well, I think you need to find new classes, Blair, because this late-night shit isn't going to work," Jason sneered, sounding triumphant already. Serenity sat up impatiently, agitated at his calling her by her nick name.  
  
"No, I think you need to figure out how to ditch this pompous asshole image you adopted! What the hell makes you think Im going to actually change my schedule because you say so?"  
  
There was a long pause before anything was said.  
  
"Next time you change your clothes, make sure you close all the blinds," Jason snarled nastily before the line went dead. Serenity threw the phone in frustration, and looked around wildly to see what he was talking about. Sure enough, one of her windows was open and exposed. She went to it and before she closed it, she saw Jason's car drive away.  
  
'He was here the whole time, waiting for me to get home?' Serenity thought, suddenly getting a headache. She lay down on the couch and stretched her long legs. With a party and a full shift at work to look forward to the next day, she figured that some sleep wouldn't do any harm.  
  
Before she fell asleep, she thought, 'Strange; even though Jason is gone, I still feel like I'm being watched.' Serenity excused it as mere paranoia and drifted into a troubled sleep.  
  
It was more than paranoia. Somebody was watching. 


	2. The Party

A/N: Don't forget to review, peoples!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Serenity's internal alarm clock went off at about 8:10 a.m., leaving her just enough time to get ready for work at 9:00. Stretching, she got to her feet and walked to the bathroom. After turning on the water and waiting for it to get hot, Serenity took a few pain-killers for a neck ache from the couch snoozing. She then removed her clothes and jumped into the shower.  
  
After getting out and wrapping up in a towel, Serenity trudged into her bedroom and yanked her clothes out of her closet. While pulling on her shirt she heard a loud crash in the living room.  
  
*BOOSH*  
  
Serenity peeked out the door and saw nothing more than her cat and an overturned vase of flowers. She groaned.  
  
"PIG! Watch what the hell you're doing!"  
  
Pig merely trilled at her before he began lapping up the spilled water.  
  
Serenity picked up the roses that lay on the ground and was about to shove them back into the vase when she saw the note that was tied to them.  
  
'Happy Valentine's Day, my dearest Blair. Love always, Jason.'  
  
Suddenly Serenity's face is flushed, angry. She tossed the flowers and the card into the garbage before going back into the bathroom.  
  
She stared at the mirror as she brushed her long blond hair, fuming. What the card had said was a flat out lie. Jason wouldn't know love if it was shoved up his ass sideways. Serenity twisted her hair up into a bun and shoved chopsticks through it. Looking back at her reflection, she paused.  
  
Serenity never thought of herself as an attractive person. Jason and everyone always told her that she was beautiful, but she never believed them. Bright green eyes, soft skin, and a curvy body usually was what gained compliments, but whenever Jason was praising her, his eyes were glued to her chest. Serenity clenched her teeth and let out a strained breath.  
  
Serenity never wore makeup. She found it unnatural. But now she found herself trying to apply it over a blackened eye.  
  
She didn't mean to make him mad. They were at his house, fighting about her supposedly 'spending too much time with Sarah' when she wanted to go home; to get away from him. In tears, she turned for the door, but Jason grabbed her arm and yanked her back. Before she knew what was happening, he punched her in the face and threw her to the ground. She lay there, stunned, until he was gone  
  
Serenity shuddered at the memory.  
  
'It was my fault anyways,' she repeatedly thought.  
  
When she was done getting ready, she briefly wiped away a tear as she grabbed her keys and went out the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At the pet store she worked at, Serenity found a small amount comfort. Whether it was the animals or the fact that Jason wasn't there, she wasn't about to argue it. Serenity took her place behind the register and prepared herself for the rest of the day.  
  
At about 4:15 in the afternoon, Serenity was anxiously awaiting the end of her shift when Sarah came bouncing through the door.  
  
"Greetings, beast of burden!" Sarah said, hugging Serenity.  
  
Serenity sticks out her pierced tongue at her friend. "Stick it, wench."  
  
Sarah poked Serenity's belly before saying, "You still coming tonight?"  
  
"Well, I planned on it. Why?"  
  
Sarah's face changed from happy to worried. "Well you see-Jason ran into me today at the gas station and asked about you-"  
  
"Ah fuck," Serenity muttered, leaning heavily against the counter. "What did HE have to say?"  
  
"He said that he wanted to say he was sorry for being an asshole last night, and I told him about the party tonight. He said he wants you to have fun." Sarah's face went back to being happy. "He has some of the wierdest mood swings!"  
  
Serenity gave a half-ass smile. "You're telling me....."  
  
Sarah stayed with Serenity for the rest of her shift, and by 5:00 p.m., they headed out the door together.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At home, Serenity dug fiercely in her closet for something to wear. Settling for a black vinyl mini skirt with fishnet tights, knee-high platform boots and a black corset top, she changed and pursued her cat for company.  
  
Pig was nowhere to be found in the small apartment.  
  
'Hmmm,' Serenity thought, opening the front door and looking out. Sure enough, Pig was laying on the doormat. She picked him up and took him inside.  
  
After attending to some small chores, Serenity noticed that it was time to pick up Sarah.  
  
When they arrived at the party, it was a typical frat-kegger. Since Sarah and Serenity were both 21, they weren't too worried about getting in trouble for drinking. Well, Sarah didn't at least; Serenity was the designated driver. While Sarah was downing shots with the boys, Serenity settled for an iced tea.  
  
Several guys tried to hit on her in the course of an hour, and each one she turned down with more annoyance than the last. After a few hours, she decided to wander around in search of people she might know.  
  
No such luck.  
  
Disappointed, Serenity went back to the living room of the frat-house to get her iced tea. When she got there and sat back down in the chair, she picked up her drink off the table. She felt eyes watching her from across the room. Not just watching, but intently STARING.  
  
Serenity glared over at the three guys responsible for the staring and snapped, "What's your damage, fuckers?"  
  
She expected them to go red and get embarrassed. But they just grinned, winked, and kept staring. Serenity gave them the finger and took a drink of her tea. She recoiled.  
  
'Why does this taste to bitter, yet so good?' she thought, chugging the rest of it. Holding her breath, she shook her head to rid herself of the foul aftertaste.  
  
'That was NOT iced tea,' Serenity thought before getting attacked by a wave of nausea.  
  
"Holy shit," she muttered, and tried to stand. She swiftly fell back into her chair. After a second try, she finally stood and found her way to a bathroom.  
  
Serenity splashed her face with cold water, and dried it with a towel.  
  
"I must have grabbed somebody's drink," she said aloud, to nobody in particular.  
  
Serenity began to feel more and more out of it by the minute. She stumbled out of the bathroom, and weaseled her way to Sarah, who was making out with some guy in a corner.  
  
Serenity shook her hard, and Sarah stared up at her.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"I don't feel so good," Serenity mumbled, swaying as she stood. Sarah laughed, her speech slurred.  
  
"You're wasted, dude! But that's okay, because Sean here," she pats her make out buddy, "said I could stay with him for the night. What are you going to do?"  
  
Serenity tried to think. "I guess I'll just sleep in the car until I get better."  
  
"Sounds like a plan," Sarah said, turning back to Sean. Serenity shook her again.  
  
"Dude, I've been drunk before; and I didn't feel like this! What's wrong with me?!" Serenity began to get panicked. Sarah shook her head.  
  
"You just need to go get some rest. You'll be okay."  
  
Serenity nodded, slowly picking her way through the crowd to find her bag and keys.  
  
By the time she got outside, Serenity felt ready to vomit, but couldn't. She stood and found the right key in advance before she began walking. Since she and Sarah arrived later than most of the other guests, the car was parked pretty far away, about two blocks or so. Serenity walked slowly, her vision coming and going.  
  
She paused at the entrance of a dark alley. A small kitten sat and purred, and she approached it.  
  
"Hey honey," she said, kneeling and petting it. The kitten suddenly meowed loudly before running past her. Confused, Serenity straightened out and tried to look around. A sudden feeling of dread gripped her. Serenity's instinct told her to get moving.  
  
But her body wouldn't respond.  
  
And that was when they grabbed her from behind. 


	3. Thank You?

It happened so fast, Serenity didn't have time to react.  
  
"DON'T TOUCH ME-LET ME GO!" she shouted, squirming against the grasp of the person holding her.  
  
There were three of them; the guys she flipped off earlier.  
  
They dragged her into the alley, ignoring her protests.  
  
Serenity was shoved roughly onto the pavement, and she then felt someone on top of her and a knife against her throat.  
  
"Did you like the little addition we put in your drink?" a harsh voice whispered in her ear. Then hands are holding her face, making her look at him.  
  
"Please don't hurt me," Serenity begged, tears sliding down her cheeks.  
  
She felt him fumbling around with her skirt, and she began to protest louder.  
  
"STOP IT! LET GO!"  
  
He looked down at her and stroked her hair.  
  
"I'll be gentle-"  
  
*WHACK*  
  
Serenity hit him with all the strength she could muster. Despite being under the influence of the drugs they put in her drink, she suddenly felt very alert. She got to her feet and began running.  
  
She didn't make it very far before they caught up with her.  
  
After being tackled to the ground, they began hitting and kicking her.  
  
Everything started to turn white with the pain.  
  
Serenity felt weight on her again, and tried to scream. Suddenly, more pain.  
  
Then, it was gone.  
  
The person on her, the pain, everything. She heard shouts, cursing, and the sounds of fighting.  
  
She could do nothing but lay on the ground and gasp for air.  
  
As soon as she could breath again, Serenity started to sob quietly.  
  
After a few moments, she wasn't alone. Somebody was kneeling beside her and trying to hold her.  
  
"Please don't hurt me-"she started, but was quickly silenced.  
  
"Shhhh; its alright, you're okay now," a gentle male voice said, hoisting her up a little more into his embrace. "I'm not going to hurt you."  
  
Then another male voice, only this one was harsher. "Kouga, what are you doing? That's not what we came here for!" Serenity heard a growl emit from the chest she was resting against.  
  
"I know that, you fool! But cant you see that she's hurt?" the 'Kouga' character snarled, tightening his grip on Serenity. She heard a chuckle.  
  
"Since when did YOU start caring about some stupid human?" Suddenly Kouga released her and leapt towards the other male.  
  
"Her being a human has nothing to do with this! We found her being attacked by our enemies, so she might as well be one of us."  
  
Serenity wheezed out her breaths, and pulled her self up into a sitting position. She stared hard at the people with her in the alley, a total of 7. Who were they?  
  
She examined their appearances closely. All of them were clad in what looked like fur and armor-like attire. Serenity blinked. Were those tails she saw? 6 of them had hair that was cut short, leaving Kouga the only one with long black hair, which was tied back in a ponytail. Serenity suddenly felt dizzier than before.  
  
"But Kouga, she's a pathetic human! She couldn't defend herself against the other demons, and it's only a wonder she's still alive! Besides, what do you see in her?"  
  
"Don't argue with me! I've been watching her for some time now, and I want her to come with us," Kouga said lowly, even though Serenity could still hear everything they were saying.  
  
He turned and walked back to her. She cowered away from him, and his face became sympathetic.  
  
"Don't be afraid, darling, you're alright now," he whispered, picking her up off the ground and carried her as he walked.  
  
"I hurt," Serenity managed before beginning to cough violently.  
  
"I know you do," Kouga said as he headed back to join the rest of the people. He gently wiped the tears from her eyes. "But you're going to be fine."  
  
Serenity lost consciousness before they even left the alley.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
When she woke up, Serenity found that she was in a cave and laying on what seemed like a nest made of straw. When she tried to sit up, pain struck like a thousand needles, and Serenity found herself laying back down on the straw slowly.  
  
It was dark, but her eyes adjusted before long and she saw that she was alone in the cave.  
  
"Hello?" she tried to call out, but her throat tightened. Serenity coughed and tried again.  
  
This time, she said it loud enough to make it echo.  
  
No response.  
  
Damn.  
  
Serenity looked down at herself, and groaned. She was missing her boots. Her clothes were torn, and blood was caked to her legs, stomach, and neck. A closer investigation revealed several lacerations from what seemed to have been a knife.  
  
She remembered the knife and shivered.  
  
Her wounds were not treated.  
  
Ignoring the pain, Serenity forced herself to sit up. A dim light shone from the mouth of the cave.  
  
"Can somebody help me?" she called out with a hoarse voice. A figure entered the cave and approached her quickly. Serenity backed away.  
  
"Don't be a coward," the same rough voice from earlier snarled rudely. Serenity was stuck between fear and resentment.  
  
"Where the hell am I?" she asked lowly, and the male sneered at her.  
  
"I have no obligation to tell you."  
  
Serenity lost all fear and glared daggers at the crude individual.  
  
"Fine then, asshole. That means that I have no obligation to stay here," she sneered back, pulling herself to her feet. The male jumped up in front of her and growled fiercely.  
  
"You shouldn't leave."  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"Because Kouga wants you to stay, and he's the only reason you're not dead already."  
  
Serenity sighed heavily. "Well then, Ill send him a thank you card and some flowers in the mail. I want to go home."  
  
The male cocked his head. "Card? What do you mean by that?"  
  
Serenity rolled her eyes. "Haha. Look, this little hideout is cute, but I have to go find Sarah now." She pushed by him and made her way to the cave entrance on wobbly legs.  
  
Several low growls emitted from the shadows around her. Serenity spun around and saw more men like she the one she just talked to. She was backed up against a wall.  
  
"You're not going anywhere," one of them snapped, and another sniffed her neck.  
  
"I'm really hungry, Im glad Kouga left her for us," he said, tasting a bit of her blood.  
  
"What the fuck-get away from me!" Serenity cried, shoving him away. "I'm not going to get eaten by ANY of you, you creeps!"  
  
They all laughed, getting closer.  
  
Serenity was well aware of how strongly she reeked of blood; it was all over her. But why were these people talking about eating her?  
  
Upon feeling claws on her stomach, she screamed. 


	4. How The Hell Did This Happen?

A shrill yelp was heard as the claws were torn away from her body.  
  
Serenity looked and saw Kouga standing over one of the males, teeth and fists clenched.  
  
"Just what the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Kouga shouted, obviously restraining from striking the male.  
  
"But Kouga, how the hell were we supposed to know that she wasn't food? She's covered in blood-"  
  
"ENOUGH!" Kouga bellowed, silencing the pack. Serenity slowly slid to the floor, whimpering. Kouga went to her side. "Nobody will go near her! Anyone who touches her will be eliminated; do you understand?"  
  
They all nodded and shot Serenity dirty looks. They plodded out of the cave, grumbling under their breath. Serenity heard 'bitch' and 'stupid human'.  
  
She turned her gaze to Kouga, and tried to smile. Serenity wasn't really able to get a good look at him until now, and saw that he was rather attractive. His ice-blue eyes were what won her over. Kouga smiled warmly at her.  
  
"Are you okay? They didn't do anything did they?" he asked, trying to pull her to her feet.  
  
"No, they just scared me," Serenity said wanly, wincing in pain as she stood. Kouga picked her up and carried her back to the straw nest. After setting her back down he sat beside her.  
  
"Your wounds are severe," Kouga said, softly touching her stomach. Serenity's muscles tensed up. "I need to get you cleaned up." He reached to the side and grabbed a piece of cloth soaked in water.  
  
While he wiped the blood off of her, Serenity asked, "Kouga, who are you, exactly?"  
  
Kouga sighed loudly. "I'm the leader of the Wolf Demon Tribe. You're in my den-"  
  
"Wait wait wait!" Serenity interrupted, putting up her hands. "What do you mean by WOLF DEMON?"  
  
Kouga cocked and eyebrow. "What else could I mean by it?" He laughed and continued to clean her. He jumped back suddenly.  
  
Serenity was surprised. "What's the matter?" she asked, looking at the confused expression on Kouga's face. He pointed at her stomach.  
  
When she looked, she giggled. "Oh what-you've never seen a naval piercing before?"  
  
"What's a piercing?" he asked, and the tone of his voice made it clear he didn't understand. Serenity began to dread the worst.  
  
"Where is this cave located? Are we in the park or something?" she asked, looking right into Kouga's eyes.  
  
His head cocked to one side. "This isn't a 'park'. This is Feudal Japan-"  
  
Serenity laughed. "You're shitting me."  
  
"No. Now lay still so I can finish," he said in a stern voice. Serenity didn't get it.  
  
"How did I go from Huntington Beach in the year 2004 to Japan?" she asked, now getting worried.  
  
Kouga looked at her sadly. "I didn't think you'd understand. You see, there's this thing called The Bone Collector's Well. I stumbled into it quite a while ago, and found myself in your world. There is an enemy of the Demon Wolf Tribe; The Birds of Paradise. They have found a way to change their appearances to look more human. Not only that, they found a way to your world; through the Well. I was in pursuit of one when I fell in."  
  
Serenity blinked. 'Could this be true?' she thought wildly.  
  
Kouga paused, sensing her tensing up. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm just trying to let it sink in," Serenity replied, thoughts whirring through her head.  
  
Kouga smiled gently before continuing. "I saw the Birds in your world, and decided to stay there for awhile. Then I saw you-"He stopped abruptly. Serenity slowly put her hand on his. She felt him flinch. He shook his head and said, "Anyway, earlier today I came back and brought reinforcements. We found three of the Birds attacking you, and eliminated them." Kouga stopped again, and looked at Serenity.  
  
"I want to look around and make sure you're not making any of this up," she said. She wasn't being rude, just curious.  
  
Kouga nodded. "Yes, well, when you get better you can feel free to look around outside if you wish." He continued to clean her up, and she did nothing but stare at him.  
  
'There's something about this guy," Serenity thought. 'I owe him everything for getting those perverted bastards away from me, and he's gorgeous to boot.'  
  
Kouga hurriedly dressed her wounds and stood up. He looked down at her, his expression concerned. "You should rest," he said, turning to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Serenity cried, and Kouga looked back at her.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You said that Well-thingy goes back to my world, right?"  
  
"Yeah, that's the only way you got here in the first place," Kouga replied, now fully facing Serenity. She sat up on her knees.  
  
"Can we go back and get some of my stuff? I want to stay here with you." Her words shocked Kouga. He came closer.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
Serenity swallowed and said, "I don't want to go back; I don't like it there!" Now her voice was desperate, and she grabbed Kouga's arms. He was startled.  
  
"Well, you don't have to go back! Would you mind telling me why you don't want to return to your world?" Kouga asked, curious.  
  
Serenity fought tears, picturing Jason in her head. "Lets just say that nobody would miss me if I left." Kouga smiled grimly, and helped her to her feet.  
  
"We could go now if you felt up to it," he asked Serenity, and she nodded quickly.  
  
"Let's go." 


	5. No Choice

A/N: Do you guys like it? Read and Review; purdy please? O.O ( (bad version of puppy dog eyes lol)  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
When Kouga and Serenity stepped out of the den, the sun has gone down. Looking around, Serenity's eyes were met with the sight of several wolf demons doing various tasks: tending to cubs, talking in groups, preparing food, etc. The clearing in which all this took place was luminous with the light of several fires, and it reminded Serenity of a large family gone camping. She smiled.  
  
A cub came up to them and waved at Serenity. "Hello there! My name's Minoko; what's yours?"  
  
Serenity's smile got brighter, and bent over to the cub's level. "Hi, sweetheart; my name's Serenity. But we're friends now, so feel free to call me Blair."  
  
Minoko giggled shyly and said, "What a weird name! I like it!"  
  
Kouga cleared his throat loudly and said, "Minoko, you should run along now." The cub snapped into attention.  
  
"Yes sir. Bye bye, Blair!" Minoko called over her shoulder as she ran back to her mother; who was eyeing Serenity with suspicion.  
  
Kouga led the way through the clearing, explaining to some of the higher ranking wolves where he was going.  
  
"We'll be back within and hour at the most."  
  
As they trudged through the forest, Serenity asked, "Do you think they'll like me?" Kouga pondered it for a moment.  
  
"They'll have to get used to you first before they decide." Serenity didn't know whether she liked the sound of that or not.  
  
Before long, they reached the Well. Kouga jumped in.  
  
Serenity hesitated at first, then got in as well. (Heh in the well as well...^_^)  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
They were in the park, next to the creek. Kouga shook some leaves from his fur, and Serenity brushed dirt off of herself.  
  
"That was neat!" she exclaimed, causing Kouga to roll his eyes and smile.  
  
Serenity knew the way to her house from there. They walked together down the street, quietly talking. By the time they reached her apartment, the sun was rising. Serenity pulled a spare key out from under the doormat, but noticed that when she went to unlock the door it wasn't locked in the first place. Her heart began to beat harder and faster.  
  
"What's the matter?" Kouga asked her sensing her anxiety. She shook her head.  
  
"N-nothing, I just thought I locked my door. Guess I didn't."  
  
Serenity opened it and gasped.  
  
Sitting on the couch waiting for her was Jason.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked in a frightened tone. Jason got up and walked towards her.  
  
"How come you were gone all night?" he asked viciously. "You were with another guy weren't you?" Jason looked and saw Kouga standing behind Serenity. "Who the FUCK is that?!" he screamed into her face, shoving his index finger into Kouga's face.  
  
"You need to leave, Jason," Serenity said quietly, quaking where she stood. She heard Kouga growling.  
  
"No, I'm not going anywhere," Jason snarled, grabbing Serenity by the throat and throwing her to the ground.  
  
Serenity saw a flash of black hair and brown fur before Jason was on the ground, too.  
  
She sat up and scooted away from the scuffle. She didn't know what to do, since seeing Jason get the shit beat out of him was rather nice.  
  
Serenity just wasn't expecting it when Kouga unsheathed his sword and plunged it into Jason's chest.  
  
"HOLY SHIT!!" she screamed, getting up and running into the bathroom. After slamming the door shut, Serenity began to cry.  
  
Not because she was mourning over Jason, no no no. She was just scared. For some strange reason, it all hit her: What happened earlier with those three guys, being with Kouga, the decision to move, EVERYTHING. And now, she had no choice but to leave. Serenity would surely be blamed for Jason's death.  
  
The door creaked open, and Kouga's head poked in. "Serenity?" he asked, slowly entering the room.  
  
Serenity hurled herself at him and wrapped her arms around him. She didn't even notice that her cuts re-opened and started to bleed.  
  
Kouga, startled, set his sword on the floor and hugged her back.  
  
Sobbing, she exclaimed, "See what I meant? He wouldn't have given a flying fuck if I was dead or not; I have to get out of here!"  
  
Kouga was saddened by her distress and said, "Well, gather some of your things and we'll get going."  
  
Serenity pulled away from him and stared deeply into his eyes, getting closer and closer to his face. He leaned in closer as well, but just before their lips touched, she turned and walked hurriedly out of the room.  
  
Almost disappointed, Kouga grabbed up his sword and went back into the living room to wait for Serenity. He glared down at the corpse of the human male he just killed, and his hair stood on end. 'What a worthless heap of flesh,' he thought in resentment. For emphasis, he gored the body a few more times.  
  
Serenity came out carrying a few duffle bags full of stuff. Kouga wiped off his sword on the carpet and asked, "Are you ready to leave?"  
  
"Yes, I just have to see somebody before we go."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
When they reached the frat-house the party took place at, Serenity ran into a panicked Sarah.  
  
"OH MY GOD, THERE YOU ARE!" Sarah shrieked, hugging onto Serenity. "I've been SO worried about you!"  
  
'I don't want to lie to her, but here goes.'  
  
"Sarah, you wont be seeing me again," Serenity said. Sarah chuckled.  
  
"Oh, sure-"  
  
"No, I'm serious. I killed Jason and I have to flee from the authorities," Serenity stated flatly, well aware of how lame it sounded.  
  
Sarah looked at Serenity oddly. "I don't believe you."  
  
Serenity shrugged. "Go look in my apartment. You'll find him there."  
  
Sarah turned white. "You cant leave, Blair! I cant lose you!" Serenity's heart sunk.  
  
"I cant stay here! I have to leave, NOW!" she shouts, hugging Sarah one last time. When she pulled away Serenity gave Sarah a quick kiss on the forehead. "I love you, Sarah, you know that! But I killed somebody; and I cant stay here any longer."  
  
Sarah started crying. "Promise you'll come see me again some day?"  
  
"Promise. Take care, Hun, and I'll be back before you know it."  
  
With that, Serenity and Kouga took off running back to the well.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
When they were back in the wolf demon territory and heading back to the clearing, Serenity walked slowly. Kouga urged her to hurry.  
  
"Being casual in the forest at night leads to death....care to quicken your steps?" He didn't mean to sound as impatient as he did. Serenity looked up at him, her expression hurt. Kouga regretted saying anything at all. He went to her side  
  
"I'm sorry, its just that, well.......i don't know," Kouga trailed off. He took Serenity's bags from her grasp and carried them despite her protests.  
  
"I can carry those just fine-"  
  
"You're injured, and I wont hear anymore about it," he replied, making sure to soften his tone. Sure enough, it worked, and Serenity was softly smiling back at him.  
  
When they reached the clearing, Kouga was met with a pack of agitated wolves.  
  
When Ginta and Hakkaku pulled him aside to explain, they said, "There's no guarantee that the girl will survive through the night." 


	6. GoodBad News

A/N: ~mock gasp~ the suspense is building....dun dun DUN! Pssh I wish =\ Same as before, folks (ya know; the reviewing thing?) ~pokes reader with a spoon~  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kouga stiffened. "What do you mean, she might not survive through the night?!"  
  
Ginta recoiled, knowing his pack leader wouldn't take it well. "The pack isn't too pleased about the idea of a human moving into our territory, and already they decided they don't like her-"  
  
"That's ridiculous!" Kouga cried, furious.  
  
Hakkaku and Ginta glared as Serenity approached them. She smiled kindly at them, and was far too exhausted to take a hint from them. Kouga, however, shoved past the two males and led Serenity through the clearing and into the cave.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked, hesitant to get comfortable.  
  
"Its not you," Kouga said quickly, setting down the bags and approaching her. "Lay down in the nest and get some rest; I need to take care of something."  
  
Not about to argue with a chance at sleeping, Serenity quickly laid down on the straw and fell asleep at once.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kouga called everyone's attention, and demanded to know what was going on.  
  
A young male wolf spoke up first, "A human in the pack is like contamination! She would only cause trouble!" Encouraged by his boldness, the other wolf demons began to shout out their excuses.  
  
Kouga was appalled by the audacity of his pack mates, and finally snarled, "I'VE CHOSEN HER TO BE MY MATE, SO YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH HER SOONER OR LATER!!!"  
  
*Collective Silence*  
  
"B-but Kouga!" someone cried out, breaking the silence. "Remember what happened the last time you placed your claim on a human female?"  
  
Kouga bit his lip. The incident with Kagome had been rash, but the pain dulled over time. "I am well aware of what happened the last time! But as the leader of this pack, I have to mate at some point, do I not?"  
  
Another voice: "With human blood in their veins, the cubs will become old and weak, and eventually die. Most likely before you do!"  
  
Kouga couldn't stand the thought. He shivered.  
  
Then someone else: "You will be eternally bonded to somebody that will die within a few decades!"  
  
Kouga turned and left, unable to hear any more.  
  
~*~*~*~*~Six Months Later~*~*~*~*~  
  
When Serenity woke up, she found Kouga lying beside her in the straw nest.  
  
She got closer to him and watched his chest rise and fall as he slept.  
  
Kouga stirred, and opened his eyes. He looked at Serenity, who had her head laying on his chest. She smiled gently at him.  
  
'Gods, she's beautiful," Kouga thought, slowly putting his arm around her.  
  
Serenity was lulled back to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat, and while she slept, Kouga thought over what he said to the pack several months earlier.  
  
'I'm glad I went through the trouble to try and mate with her,' he thought, the memory of Kagome in his head. 'It seems to be a mutual feeling this time, and I think she's worth it. Not only that, but I have a better chance than I did with that other wench.' Kouga sighed, and closed his eyes.  
  
Hakkaku appeared at the cave entrance and shouted, "Kouga! The men you sent out last week to investigate that gulch have returned!"  
  
Kouga perked up at this: he was anxiously awaiting the return of these wolves. He gently took Serenity off his chest and laid her on the straw.  
  
Upon exiting the cave, Kouga's mood went from excited to mortified.  
  
Out of the 25 men he sent to the gulch, only 3 stood before him.  
  
"Wh-what happened?!" he cried, motioning the healers to prepare medicinal concoctions to heal the battered wolves.  
  
"The gulch is TEEMING with the Birds," one wolf managed, sitting on the ground and panting. The other two joined him.  
  
"How many?" Kouga asked, dread dripping from his voice.  
  
"Hundreds of thousands, possibly more than that," said another.  
  
Kouga shook his head slowly, rubbing his forehead to try and ward off the headache that was coming.  
  
Suddenly, snarls were heard.  
  
Kouga turned and saw Serenity behind him, trying to see what was going on.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked, kneeling down in front of the injured wolves. They bared their teeth at her, but she ignored it. Even though she was there for 6 months already, some of the wolves were still hostile towards her.  
  
"Serenity," Kouga said sternly. "Go back to the cave."  
  
She looked up at her mate and became irked. "You seem to have forgotten that I know how to treat wounds as good as the healers, darling. And not to mention that I have stuff from my world." With that, Serenity pulled out a bottle of Hydrogen peroxide, Bactine, and Ace Bandages.  
  
The injured wolves weren't too sure about letting some human put her supposed 'medicine' on their wounds. They growled savagely at Serenity.  
  
"Knock it off," Kouga said, figuring that his mate wasn't going to obey his order to leave anyways.  
  
Within 10 minutes, the wolves were fixed up and ready to go.  
  
Despite their rude actions, it was obvious they were grateful.  
  
Kouga watched Serenity as she went and played with a group of cubs. 'She's kind to everyone in the pack,' he thought. 'Why aren't they giving her some respect?'  
  
Serenity was interrupted in her festivities with the cubs by a wolf cursing at her and pulling the children away. Kouga could smell sorrow coming from his mate as she plodded towards him.  
  
"What did I ever do to them?" she asked Kouga, leaning against his chest. He put his arm around her and shrugged.  
  
"I don't know. I guess being human is enough, he said, hugging her closer.  
  
Together they walked under a shady tree to escape the summer heat. After they sat down on the ground, Serenity said, "I love playing with the cubs, Kouga."  
  
"Mmm-hmm," he said, nuzzling his face into her hair. Serenity turned and looked him directly in the eyes. Kouga cocked his head at her.  
  
"I have something to tell you," she said, standing back up and stretching before she began walking away. Snagged by curiosity, Kouga leapt to his feet and pursued her.  
  
"What do you mean, you have something to tell me?" he asked when he caught up to her.  
  
Serenity picked up Minoko in her arms and smiled. She jiggled the cub gently, causing her to laugh. "I'm going to be having one of these, Dear," Serenity said to Kouga, her pretty face flushed in excitement.  
  
Kouga froze. "No you're not."  
  
"Yes I am."  
  
"How do you know for sure?"  
  
"I could tell......and the healer's took a look at me yesterday," Serenity said, her smile brightening. She leaned over and kissed Kouga.  
  
"Eeewww!" Minoko squealed, giggling, as Serenity set her down. The cub trotted away to chase after a butterfly.  
  
Kouga remained bland in his expression. Serenity got in front of him and looked up at his blank face (he was a good 3 inches taller than her). She stood on her tippy toes and leaned against him.  
  
"Darling; what's wrong?" she asked, her excitement beginning to fade. Kouga looked at her briefly before turning and walking away.  
  
Serenity stood alone, wringing her hands as she watched her mate walk out into the forest without looking back. 


	7. Sheer Confusion

A/N: OoOoOoo! You like it when the pudding happens, eh? BWAHAAHAHA! (Sorry peoples! I'm hyper on Girl Scout Cookies....mmmm Thin Mints.....) Blah blah blah I'm not even going to bother saying it, you already know. (HINT: it start with an 'R' and ends with a 'W') =P  
  
P.S. I have nothing against Kagome, so don't get all bitchy with the references made to her in this story; ITS JUST A DAMN STORY! I needed to make her seem that way to make the plot work, Ka-Peesh?  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kouga didn't stop walking until he reached the waterfall; where he usually went to relax and think.  
  
He had a lot of thinking to do.  
  
'So she's pregnant now?' he thought, his heart beating hard. He splashed some of the river's cold water on his face.  
  
The water didn't make the bad feeling go away.  
  
Kouga wasn't worried about the responsibilities of being a father; he knew he could handle it.  
  
He just couldn't shake the fact that his and Serenity's children were going to be half human. Like the pack said several times, they wouldn't live very long lives. Kouga would have to see his own children die while he lived on.  
  
And not just that, he would have to watch his dear Serenity die as well.  
  
He suddenly felt nauseous, and had to lean back against the rocks. Staring up at the clouds, Kouga began to worry. He loved his Serenity dearly, more than anything else in his life.  
  
Even more than he loved Kagome.  
  
'But that wasn't love,' he reminded himself.  
  
Kouga heard a rustling in the bushes, and sat up immediately, his hand on the hilt of his sword.  
  
"Who's there!" he barked, and was greeted by a timid Serenity coming towards him. He let out a slow breath. "What are you doing here, Serenity?"  
  
She had obviously been crying, and Kouga regretted being so stern with her. She sat beside him on the stone.  
  
"Darling, I love you," she said, sounding like she was sorry for something. She also sounded like she was scared.  
  
"I love you too, Dear," Kouga said softly, looking at his mate. Serenity put her feet in the water and sniffed.  
  
Kouga began to feel bad. While Serenity numbly played with the water, he began to wonder: 'Is she capable of successfully having a child?' Kouga's mate was rather small, and wouldn't usually be considered a good candidate for childbearing. If anything happened to her, Kouga was ready to accept the guilt.  
  
"Are you sure you're-"he began.  
  
"Yes," Serenity interrupted, looking at him with tearful eyes. "I'm sorry- "  
  
Kouga grabbed her and pulled her close. "You didn't do anything wrong. This is something to be happy about."  
  
Serenity wiped her eyes, and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it?"  
  
Kouga stood and reached out for her hand. She took it and rose beside him.  
  
"I love you," he said before wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her for quite a long time.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Back at the clearing, word was buzzing about Serenity's pregnancy. Minoko had told her mother what Serenity said to Kouga, who told the healers, who told the warriors, and so on (you know how rumors go =D). By the time Kouga and Serenity returned from the waterfall, they were met with a deafening silence.  
  
"I think they know," Serenity whispered to Kouga, who nodded in agreement.  
  
He made an announcement later that night during the feeding that the rumors were true, and that Serenity would be due in about 7 or so months.  
  
Serenity was surprised by the large amounts of happiness emitting from the pack. For a group that wasn't too fond of her, they seemed pretty ecstatic about the news.  
  
Oh well.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kouga was proud of Serenity for being so tolerant towards the pack. While the news of her pregnancy was enough to make the females become friendlier, the males continued to only be nice to Kouga. She was still treated like the omega. Despite the fact that she was higher ranking than all of them put together, Serenity never questioned them as to why they were so hostile towards her. When Kouga asked why, she simply shrugged and said, "Everybody's entitled to free will. I'm sure they have their reasons."  
  
Kouga would smile sadly at this. His mate had improved the living conditions of the pack in several ways. She introduced things called "batteries", and had also brought gadgets that were run by the batteries. These machines ranged from "flashlights" to a thing called a "stereo": the pack's favorite. It emitted sounds and music from disks that were placed into it. Everybody was always squabbling over who could use it first, and Kouga was pleased to see that Serenity was able to get their minds off of the war with the Birds of Paradise.  
  
And yet, she was still disrespected on a daily basis. All that Serenity would do in response was smile her pretty smile and ignore it.  
  
However, she only kept up this carefree image for the sake of Kouga. She loved him dearly, and did not want to bother him with her personal problems. She kept to herself and never questioned him, let alone disrespect or disobey.  
  
Serenity's quiet persona vanished one evening.  
  
On that quiet calm night, Serenity was teaching the cubs how to work the stereo and put the C.D.'s into it. They were all huddled around her, excitedly asking questions about both the machine and her pregnancy. Kouga watched her talk, chatter, and giggle with the cubs and answer all of their questions. Even though she was barely showing, Serenity still let the cubs put their hands on her stomach and ask what she was going to name it.  
  
Kouga could tell that his mate would make a great mother.  
  
He sat perched on a rock, watching them, when suddenly he heard something. Then the scent hit him:  
  
Kagome?  
  
Kouga jumped to his feet, his heart pounding. He knew she was there before he even turned all the way around.  
  
"Kouga?"  
  
he glared. Six years ago, he placed his claim on her; only to be turned down for that half-demon mutt Inuyasha.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he growled, his hair standing on end as she got closer to him. She looked at the ground, appearing sad.  
  
"Things between the two of us didn't work out so well, and now he's with Kikyo. I figured that I could always come to you......" She reached out and touched Kouga's arm. He tore away.  
  
"You know I've revoked my claim on you, Kagome! What kind of fool do you take me for?! I have a mate now, and she would never leave me for somebody else like you did!"  
  
Serenity heard Kouga yelling, and walked towards it to investigate.  
  
When she found him, she saw that a female she didn't recognize was with him.  
  
Touching him.  
  
Leaning into him.  
  
KISSING HIM?!  
  
Without hesitating, Serenity leapt onto Kagome and began hitting. Her vision was red with fury.  
  
Kouga was shocked. Not only by the fighting taking place right in front of him, but also by the fact that his mate came from seemingly nowhere.  
  
Without thinking, he grabbed Serenity by the waist and yanked her off of Kagome. Serenity squeaked in pain, but continued to shout obscenities at Kagome.  
  
"You fucking bitch! I'm going to kill you!"  
  
she wriggled her way out of Kouga's hands and was quickly met by Kagome getting in a few hits of her own.  
  
Kouga stepped in between them.  
  
"STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!!" he bellowed, and by now the pack was present to see what was going on. Serenity ignored Kouga's demand and jumped back onto Kagome.  
  
Kouga lost his temper.  
  
He grabbed Serenity and stood her in front of him. Shaking her very hard, he yelled into her face, "I SAID STOP! LEAVE HER ALONE!!" before roughly throwing her to the ground.  
  
There was a moment of silence as she pulled herself to her feet. She had several scrapes, bruises, and even had a bloody lip from the fight with Kagome. She looked up at Kouga with tears in her green eyes.  
  
Kouga stood stock still, shaking.  
  
"Serenity, I-"  
  
"No," she interrupted, putting up her hands. "Just don't. I've seen enough."  
  
Serenity walked between Kouga and Kagome, brushing off his hands when he tried to touch her. She didn't even respond when Kagome spat,  
  
"Get lost, whore!"  
  
Serenity walked into the forest and disappeared.  
  
Kouga spun around to face Kagome, his eyes flaming with rage. "Get out of here," he snarled, shoving her. He clenched his fists when she did nothing. She pouted.  
  
"But Kouga-"  
  
"Get her out of here NOW!" Kouga barked at the other wolves before darting into the forest after Serenity.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
A/N: You likey? Heheheheee thanks for the review! *squishings to reviewer* 


	8. Lost For Good?

A/N: Hmmm this thing is starting to sound like a soap opera, isn't it? *shudders* BAH its okay if I'm a sap, right? Of course it is ^_^! Well, on with the story!  
  
P.S. Prepare for much angst, my fellow wind-fish! (and a description of a sex scene...don't worry: its brief =D)  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Serenity ran, not knowing where to go and not caring. The tears flowed freely, and the racking sobs that shook her body were making breathing difficult. Since she was in pretty good (physical) shape, she made it about a mile and a half before pausing to rest.  
  
Serenity collapsed to her knees and put her face in her hands.  
  
"Gods, why?" she sobbed, shaking her head.  
  
A sharp pain in her shoulders and back caused her to whimper and lay down on the soft grass.  
  
The situation played over and over in her head like a bad movie.  
  
Kouga yelling at her, grabbing her, throwing her.  
  
Serenity wiped her eyes.  
  
And it was all in defense of that bitch Kagome.  
  
'Well fine then,' she thought after resting for a few minutes. She had caught her breath by then and got up. She had also made her decision.  
  
She would go to the Well and return to her world.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kouga sprinted though the forest, getting more frightened by the moment.  
  
"SERENITY!" he screamed repeatedly, not getting a response. Panting with his effort, he continued to run, jumping over fallen logs and ducking under low branches.  
  
First, he went to the waterfall, then to the hot springs, and then to anywhere else that Serenity had ever gone to. She was (usually) an extremely predictable person, and not being able to find her in any of her favorite places left Kouga with only one option left:  
  
The Well.  
  
The sun had completely set by then, and Kouga feared having his mate out in the forest at night.  
  
He stopped for a moment and sniffed a soft patch of grass.  
  
Serenity's scent was all over it.  
  
More sniffing revealed that her scent was coming from the North.  
  
Where the Well was.  
  
Kouga didn't try to stop the tears this time, as he had in front of the pack. The thought of losing his dear Serenity was more than he could stand.  
  
'Not just her,' he reminded himself. 'But our child as well.'  
  
Serenity's scent was fading fast as a wind began to blow.  
  
Kouga desperately pursued it.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Serenity was exhausted by the time she reached the Well. She sat with her head resting against its side. She fought to catch her breath, and startled when a hot liquid ran into her left eye. She impatiently wiped it with her index and middle fingers and looked.  
  
Blood.  
  
A cut on her forehead bled steadily, and she tried to think of how it got there.  
  
'Oh yeah,' she remembered. 'Kagome did it.'  
  
While Serenity despised Kagome for the whole incident with Kouga, she admired the girl for her ability to fight so well.  
  
Serenity sighed loudly and put her hands on her stomach. "Its just you and me for now, darling," she said softly, rubbing her belly.  
  
She cast a glance at the Well, not so sure of herself anymore.  
  
She was well aware of the need to stay. Not just because she faced the conviction of Jason's murder when and if she ever returned to her world, but because of her bond with Kouga.  
  
Serenity felt the tears threatening to return. Her heart and her head ached like never before.  
  
'I should probably think this over before jumping TO conclusions and INTO wells,' Serenity thought sadly.  
  
She felt terrible for humiliating Kouga in front of the pack, but after hearing stories about that Kagome chick, she wanted revenge.  
  
'Kouga didn't deserve to be treated like that.'  
  
Serenity then felt a weird sensation in her stomach: not quite pain but more like a dull throbbing. She began to get anxious and frightened.  
  
***  
  
Serenity was always open with Kouga, but there was one secret she kept from him...  
  
They were together for a little less than a month when they had sex for the first time.  
  
Since it happened in the heat of a moment, neither of them had childbearing in mind.  
  
However, Serenity found out a month later that she was pregnant.  
  
The day she planned on telling Kouga, she experienced an attack from a bush- pig.  
  
Serenity miscarried the next day.  
  
***  
  
She never told Kouga, and as she lay resting against the Well, she realized that she should have.  
  
He chastised her enough after the attack for 'Not being careful enough' when she went into the forest to pick blackberries for him. She was far too upset to tell him.  
  
She also didn't want to hurt him.  
  
The whole incident made Serenity crave a child even more. When she brought it up to Kouga, he quickly agreed. He had been under pressure by the pack to continue his line. And aside from that, he wanted to have a child with his Serenity.  
  
He loved her so dearly.  
  
And the decision was mutual.  
  
So they gave it a shot.  
  
One night, the pack was celebrating a VERY successful hunt that resulted in enough food to last for months. While everyone was occupied with the festivities, Kouga grabbed Serenity's hand and, with a playful smile on his face, led her to the waterfall....  
  
Serenity bit her lip and smiled weakly at the memory. They made love in the plush grass next to the water, and it was the most sensual thing that Serenity had ever experienced.  
  
Kouga had laid her down on the grass and they kissed for a long time before the removal of any clothes took place.  
  
Serenity remembered the delightful sting of his teeth gently biting into her shoulder...  
  
Him holding her close...  
  
His labored breathing...  
  
Moaning her name...  
  
Telling her he loved her...  
  
*Sigh*  
  
And that one night of lust had resulted in the child Serenity was carrying.  
  
She suddenly felt very alone.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kouga lost Serenity's scent after a half of a mile, but continued towards the Well. He skidded to a stop when he smelled blood.  
  
Serenity's blood.  
  
"Oh no," Kouga moaned, looking around wildly. Upon finding nothing, he looked up at the Northern Star. He was headed in the right direction, and was almost at the Well.  
  
As he ran towards it, the scent of Serenity's blood got stronger and stronger.  
  
When Kouga got there, he saw his mate lying against the side of it, apparently dozing. She stirred and opened her eyes when a twig broke beneath his foot.  
  
"Kouga?"  
  
"Darling-"  
  
A deafening screech was heard overhead, and when they looked up they saw one of the Birds of Paradise swooping down towards them. Serenity bolted to Kouga.  
  
"Honey-!"  
  
But not fast enough.  
  
"SERENITY!" Kouga screamed, watching the Bird grab her and fly away with her in its grasp.  
  
He was mortified. "NO! YOU'RE NOT TAKING HER FROM ME!"  
  
Despite his exhaustion, Kouga pursued the Bird that was holding his shreiking mate.  
  
"Kouga, help me!" she pleaded, and he could see blood running down her legs from where the Bird's claws were dug into her sides.  
  
'The baby,' Kouga thought, forcing himself to move faster through the trees. Serenity's cries of agony and pain infuriated him, and when he saw a cliff approaching, he prepared to jump.  
  
The second he leapt off the cliff edge to attack the Bird, he felt blood spattering on his face. He reached out and clung to the Bird's tail.  
  
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!! LET HER GO!!" he shouted, un-sheathing his sword and ramming it into the Bird's left leg. The hideous beast shreiked, and tried to shake Kouga off its body. He looked and saw that Serenity was no longer writhing, screaming, or anything. She was unconcious in the Bird's claws.  
  
"Serenity," he murmured, his heart skipping a few beats.  
  
Then Kouga saw nothing but red.  
  
He began to relentlessly stab the Bird's body, snarling, growling, and cursing. It screeched again and released Serenity. She began to fall, still unconious. Kouga immediantly jumped down after her.  
  
They were about 1,500 feet up (yeah I know, really tall ^_^ But who cares?), and when Kouga reached Serenity he grabbed her into his arms. She came to, barely.  
  
"Kouga...?" she whispered in a distant voice.  
  
He pushed his hands against Serenity's gashed waist, and felt the blood pulse out between his fingers. Looking down, he saw the river and noted that they would land in it. "It's alright, sweety," he said, kissing her on the top of her blond head. She twitched.  
  
"I don't want to lost the baby," she moaned, her voice obviously strained. Kouga prepared himself and Serenity for impact with the river by having his back face the water while holding his mate on top of his body. He kissed her again.  
  
"We're not going to lose the baby, dear, we're all going to be just fine," Kouga said, though not very convinced himself. Serenity wheezed.  
  
"I . Love . You . Darling ...."  
  
Before Kouga could respond, another one of the Birds swooped down and tore her from his arms.  
  
Blood sprayed all over him.  
  
Kouga screamed mournfully.  
  
Then he hit the water.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
I want more peoples to review =( The almighty komquat and I are getting sad *lip trembles* 


	9. Reunited

A/N: Alright, litter-mates! Here is the 9th chapter out of.....umm......I don't know yet =) Yeah this story will keep going until I get bored with it (Which isn't going to be any time soon =P)  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginta and Hakkaku had set out to find Kouga shortly after he left. Since they assumed that they had nothing to worry about, they took their time. Ginta figured that they would be at the waterfall soon and find both Kouga and Serenity.  
  
"Hmmm, they're not here," Hakkaku said when they got there.  
  
Suddenly there was a loud scream, that was followed by an equally loud splash that came from downstream. Ginta and Hakkaku ran towards the sound and found none other than Kouga in the water.  
  
After they dragged him out and laid him on the shore, Kouga coughed violently for a few minutes before croaking, "Where's Serenity? Is she okay?!"  
  
Ginta and Hakkaku looked at each other before saying in unison, "We haven't seen her since that incident with Kagome. We thought you might've found her already."  
  
Kouga broke down and cried, "The Birds took her! There was blood EVERYWHERE; I don't know where she could be!" He continued to sob loudly and shamelessly. His friends both knew that if Serenity really WAS taken by the Birds of Paradise, she didn't have a very good chance at living through it.  
  
Instead of saying that out loud, they hauled the hysterical Kouga away from the river.  
  
Kouga was too weak and upset to protest.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
when the Birds landed in their nesting grounds, they made sure that the human female was cleaned and treated for her wounds at once.  
  
After a few hours, Serenity's breath stabilized and she regained (groggy) consciousness. After one look at the Birds she tried to scream, but all that came out was mewing-like noises.  
  
"There's no use in making noise," one of the Birds said in its repulsive voice. "It's not like anybody will hear you."  
  
Serenity looked around herself, and saw that the ground was littered with wolf bones. She became enraged at the sight.  
  
"How dare you," she snarled, venom dripping from her voice. The Birds laughed at her.  
  
"Pitiful human! You have no business with the Wolf Demon Tribe in the first place!"  
  
"Fuck you, asshole!"  
  
The Birds continued to antagonize her. "You are aware of the war occurring between us and those mangy wolves, correct? Well, since they mate for life, holding you here would most definately do some serious emotional damage to Kouga, would it not?" The beast grinned, showing rows of immensely sharp teeth. "After he withers away and dies, you will be eliminated."  
  
Serenity rolled her eyes. "Sounds like a novel idea, Einstein. You seem to have forgotten that Kouga has a will stronger than the fucking Berlin Wall, and would be able to live on long after I die."  
  
The Birds glared down at her and examined her face.  
  
"Rest for now," they said, their tones hardly comforting. They pressed her down with their large claws. She yelped in pain.  
  
Serenity laid on the filthy ground and though, "As soon as those fuckers turn their backs, I'm out of here,' ready to sneak off as soon as the chance came up.  
  
She had no idea how far she could make it with as much blood as she lost, but she knew she had to try. (whoa! That's a lot of 'she's' =P)  
  
One of the Birds that was watching her was so close that she could feel its breath on her body. She turned over and saw it perched 3 feet away from her. Looking closer, she noted that it had fallen asleep.  
  
Serenity looked up at the sun, and estimated it to be about 9:00 a.m. It took and 8 hour wait for her to be able to move.  
  
Good things come to those who wait, after all.  
  
She realized that she didn't feel pain after awhile, only a dull numbness. She figured that it must have been from something they treated her wounds with.  
  
But Serenity wasn't worried about herself.  
  
She was worried about Kouga and the baby.  
  
Quietly rising to her feet, she looked around for any other Birds. Seeing none, she set out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~TWO WEEKS LATER~*~*~*~*~  
  
The pack gathered around Kouga, nervous and whispering.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Is he going to be okay?"  
  
"Where's Serenity?"  
  
"I heard that the Birds got her-"  
  
"Oh my! She's probably dead!"  
  
"That's a shame......"  
  
"How will Kouga react?"  
  
Kouga was lying on his straw nest, staring blankly at the wall of the cave and ignoring the pack. He was thinking about what to do. His mate and unborn child were out there somewhere and still alive.  
  
He could feel it.  
  
Ginta and Hakkaku shooed the pack away and stayed to talk to Kouga.  
  
"Kouga, we're sorry for your loss-"Ginta began, but was startled by a growl from Kouga.  
  
"What loss? I haven't lost anything! How dare you say that!"  
  
"Look," Hakkaku said, getting stern. "she was taken by the Birds, and the chance of her returning is little to none! There's no need to take it out on us, we're just trying to make you feel better!"  
  
Kouga looked up at his friends, his face flushed with frustration and sorrow. "I'm scared. I know she's alive, I just wish that she was here."  
  
He stood and walked out of the cave. Looking at the sun, he saw that is was about 4:00 p.m. Ginta and Hakkaku went to his side.  
  
"Where are you going?" they asked, and were even more curious when Kouga stood completely still and sniffed the breeze.  
  
He growled menacingly.  
  
"I smell the Birds," he said in a dangerously low tone. "They're headed this way."  
  
Ginta and Hakkaku went with Kouga into the forest. All three had their swords drawn, ready to attack.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Serenity had grabbed something before she left the nesting grounds of the Birds; an odd chunk of shiny pinkish colored stone. She remembered that her mother had one just like it. The Bird that was watching her had spat it out of its disgusting mouth while it was snoring, and she took it to give to Kouga when (and if) she got home.  
  
'Yeesh,' she thought. 'I'm not even a wolf and I can smell how much I reek of those fucking buzzards.'  
  
It took several days of trekking through the woods and up the side of the ravine to reach the section of the forest that belonged to the Demon Wolf Tribe. Horribly weak, Serenity collapsed just before reaching the clearing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Hakkaku heard the rustling in the bushes and the loud *THUMP* first.  
  
When he saw Serenity laying panting in the shrubbery, he nearly screamed.  
  
She looked dead, but the sound of her breathing reassured him. She looked up at him and wheezed, "What's up, bro?" with a weak smile on her pretty face.  
  
"Kouga! Come here!" Hakkaku shouted over his shoulder, kneeling down in front of Serenity.  
  
Kouga came running up with Ginta. He was met with the site of his mate lying in the shrubs with bandages wrapped around her midsection and coughing out her breaths.  
  
"Oh, love!" he cried, wrapping his arms around her and crying into her neck. Her scent rushed into his nose, making him much more relieved. "Thank Gods you're alive!"  
  
Ginta and Hakkaku sighed in relief. Kouga would be back to normal, and the pack could move on with both leaders.  
  
Kouga picked up his mate and carried her back to the clearing with Ginta and Hakkaku in tow.  
  
*** Okay well there's the chapter; hope you all liked it....IF ANYBODY'S READING IT *^_^* 


	10. Recovery

Hmm here's the 10th chapter-thingy...same request as always ^-^  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
The whole pack fretted over Serenity once she was settled into the hay nest, even the males.  
  
"Can I get you some more water?"  
  
"Are you comfortable enough?"  
  
"Are you hungry?"  
  
Serenity was comforted by knowing that the pack cared for her in some way. Minoko (the cub...remember? ^_^) came and gave her beautiful bunches of wild flowers everyday, accompanied be hugs (Serenity's favorite)  
  
Kouga never left her side during the time of her recovery. He laid with her through day and night, and the pack knew very well that he wouldn't budge unless he absolutely had to.  
  
For two months, Serenity stayed in the cave with nobody but Kouga and the occasional healer to check up on her.  
  
Kouga had to be constantly reassured that she was alright, and was practically good as new by the end of those two months.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Serenity jerked awake, trying to wipe the blood off her body.  
  
Only there wasn't any blood. Only the curse of memory.  
  
Damn nightmares.  
  
When her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw that Kouga was lying behind and curled around her, his hand on her tummy.  
  
She smiled and kissed him, causing him to twitch and mumble in his sleep. She lay awake for awhile, watching him sleep.  
  
'He seems happier when he's asleep,' Serenity thought, stroking his hair.  
  
After about 20 minutes or so, she felt drowsy enough to go back to sleep.  
  
As soon as she closed her eyes, the baby kicked.  
  
HARD.  
  
Serenity gasped in surprise (and a little bit in pain). She became irked, since being deprived of sleep wasn't something she enjoyed.  
  
She then realized that she craved some Rocky Road Ice Cream BAD.  
  
But there wasn't Rocky Road Ice Cream in Feudal Japan.  
  
Damn it all.  
  
Getting more irritated by the second, Serenity removed Kouga's arms from around her and got up.  
  
In the absence of the yumminess that is ice cream, a pear would have to do.  
  
Serenity left the cave, ignoring how tense her back felt. She made her way to the basket of fruit she gathered (and raided) earlier that same day.  
  
She found Ginta pawing through it and smiled.  
  
"Well, hello there!" she said, causing him to jump.  
  
"Oh! Hi, Sis," he said, relieved that it was just here.  
  
She dug a pear out of the basket and stood while she ate. Ginta stood next to her and asked, "Why are you up at this time of night?"  
  
Serenity shrugged. "I had a nightmare and couldn't get back to sleep because the baby's kicking." She sighed, leaning against a tree.  
  
Ginta patted her belly. "Kicks, huh? Well, that's usually a good sign."  
  
Serenity smiled at him before asking, "Will my children live longer with Kouga's demon blood in them?" She was anxious and worried at the same time.  
  
Ginta thought for a moment, then replied, "Well, yes. They will live up to twice as long them if they were fully human." He paused before continuing with, "But you will live as long as you normally would. Kouga will outlive you AND your children."  
  
Serenity nodded, somewhat pleased. "Well, alright. But will Kouga really live longer than his own offspring?"  
  
"Sadly, yes," Ginta said, throwing his apple core to the side. He yawned loudly and hugged Serenity. "I'm going back to bed, Sis. Good night."  
  
"Sleep well, hun," she said as she headed back into the cave.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kouga woke up at sunrise, made sure that Serenity was still asleep and comfortable, and exited the cave.  
  
He went to the waterfall and bathed quickly.  
  
While he sun dried on a rock, he pulled out the Sacred Jewel Shard and examined it.  
  
Serenity had taken it from the Birds of Paradise and gave it to him.  
  
'She must have remembered all I said about the Sacred Jewel,' he thought, turning it over in his hands before stashing it away inside the sheath of his sword and stretching.  
  
He still couldn't believe that Serenity went through the trouble of getting it for him.  
  
On the way back home, he picked some wildflowers for her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
being 5 months pregnant during the summer was a nearly intolerable situation. Serenity spent her days panting in the shade and feeling useless.  
  
The pack, however, went about their business as though the heat wasn't noticeable. Serenity didn't get it; she wasn't even the one with fur!  
  
Kouga was exceptionally kind towards his mate, since it wasn't hard for him to see how much discomfort the pregnancy was causing her.  
  
He felt delighted and horrified at the same time. He couldn't wait for the baby to arrive, but didn't want her to go through the pain. His personal judgment of her having problems was confirmed by the healers.  
  
"If you think she's fatigued now, you just wait," they always said.  
  
Comforting.  
  
Serenity, on the other hand, was avoiding pity at all costs. She did not want to be treated differently just because she was carrying a baby. However, the pack held her in high regard and refused to let her work. At all.  
  
Serenity knew that the next 4 months would be long. 


End file.
